What Means The Most
by BatmanSwiss
Summary: Certain members of the crew discover what means the most to them, but is it too late?
1. A New Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own them, and sadly, I never will. But I can at least borrow them, right? Anyway, I think Amblin Entertainment owns the SeaQuest and all of her crew. Kara's mine though. J 

Author note; This is the beginning of a story I started a while back. I've finally gotten around to posting it! More will be up soon as I can get it done. Also, I want to send out a BIG thank you to Gryffyn for beta-ing for me!!! Thanks!!!

What Means The Most

By JediK1

Lucas sat at his computer, playing the newest video game. It wasn't even supposed to be on the market yet, but being a hacker had its advantages. Sometimes you earned a favor in a high place. Smiling to himself, he got back to shooting the bad guys.

His fun was interrupted, however, when he heard a light knock on his door. 

Quickly, Lucas shut the game down, and called, "Come in!"

The face that popped through the doorway was that of Captain Nathan Hale Bridger, commander of the SeaQuest. He wore a smile that ranged from one ear to the other. Lucas knew that grin, and instead of being curious, he was slightly afraid of what the man might be thinking. "Uh, what's up Captain?"

"Lucas, Admiral Noyce will be on board any minute. Come on, we gotta get moving."

"That's today? Why do I even have to go? I'm not military personnel."

"He's here to inspect the boat, and the crew that runs her. Since you are part of that crew, like it or not, you have to come too. Now, throw on something presentable and we'll get our butts down to the shuttle bay."

"What's wrong with what I've got on?" Lucas's attention alternated between the captain and his clothes.

Sure, they were a little wrinkled, with maybe a stain or two, but his job wasn't to be military-type squeaky clean.

"You're a smart kid, figure it out," was the sarcastic response.

"Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes." The teen's exasperated sigh filled the cabin. 'When was the last time I did laundry?'

"That's okay, I'll walk with you." Bridger smiled slightly as he watched Lucas mutter something under his breath and began his search for something clean to wear. He really needed to talk to the teen about the condition of his quarters, seeing as how the focus of the search was on the floor.

Stepping out to let Lucas change, he smiled again. The kid may be messy, but he was good to have around when a problem with one of the computers came up. He was also good company. At times he reminded Nathan so much of his son Robert. The strange part was, they were so different. But Lucas had somehow managed to ease the pain he felt for the loss of his son, and for that, he would always be grateful to Lucas.

A few moments later, the door opened and out stepped Lucas, changed from the slightly baggy jeans and baseball tee to the same jeans and a turtleneck. Nathan sighed and shook his head. "It'll have to do. Come on."

The two began walking in a comfortable silence. Then, Lucas turned to Bridger. "Captain, why is Noyce coming anyway? Don't they usually send some stuck up inspector or something?"

"Actually, it's more of a personal visit. But we were due for an inspection, so Bill thought he would just do it himself. Figured it was a good excuse to get out office and down here. It'll be good to see him 

again." Lucas noted the genuine fondness of the last statement and felt pleased that the older man had insisted he come along. He viewed Bridger as a second father, and he liked when the captain was happy. Lucas figured the man had been through enough pain already, and he deserved to feel something other than grief.

Soon they arrived at the shuttle bay. The senior staff was already there, decorated in their dress uniforms for the "official" visit of the Admiral. Captain Bridger, also in dress uniform, took his place at the head of two lines running on either side of the ramp that would take the Admiral away 

from his shuttle. Lucas went and stood at the end of the right-side line next to Ben Kreig. The ship's supply and morale officer tended to come up with odd get-rich-quick schemes that often got Lucas in to trouble, but the teen didn't mind. He enjoyed getting into trouble with Ben, even if he did 

end up on the receiving end of one of the Captain or Kristin's infamous lectures afterward. He flashed Ben a quick smile, and was preparing to talk to the man when a whistle sounded and the crew snapped to attention, announcing the arrival of Admiral Noyce.

The hatch opened, and Admiral Bill Noyce of the UEO finished climbing the ladder. He stood on the deck, the smile on his face directed at the captain. Then, he reached back down the ladder to help someone. A moment later, a light-brown head emerged from the hatch. A young woman, Lucas 

guessed her to be somewhere around his own age, moved next to Noyce. Her long, light-brown hair hung in a high ponytail, leaving her tanned face clear. Large brown eyes swept the deck, resting on Lucas for a moment, then moving to the captain. Recognition light their depths, and she broke the 

official moment by gasping in surprise, then running to Bridger and throwing her arms around him. "Uncle Nate! I haven't seen you in so long!!"

Bridger turned slightly red, returning her hug. "Kara! It's good to see you, too! Bill, how'd did you manage to get her here? I thought you had your hands full just getting yourself on board?"

Noyce laughed. "That can wait until later. Well, since we seem to be past the official greeting now, Nathan, do you think Kara and I could go freshen up a bit? It was a long ride."

Letting go of Kara, Bridger climbed to the top of the ramp where Noyce was standing. "Sure Bill, but you owe me about an hour or so. It's been to long, and I want to hear what trouble you've been getting into." The two men and Kara began to descend down the ramp. Once they past the end of the 

twin lines, the arms of the crew came down from their salute in one disciplined snap. Bridger turned back to face his crew, and ordered "Dismissed!" 

The crew each began to go back to their posts, some to the bridge, some to other parts of the ship. Bridger spotted Lucas leaving, and called after him. "Lucas! Come back here for a minute. I want you to meet the Admiral's niece." 

When the teen had reached the group, Nathan began the introductions. "Lucas, this is Kara. She's also good when it comes to computers, so I bet the two of you will have a lot to talk about. I think it'll also be good for you to be around someone your own age for awhile."

"Hi," said Lucas.

"Hey."

There was a slightly awkward silence, then Bridger spoke up. "Well, I'm sure you two'll get the chance to talk later. Right now I have to show Bill and Kara to their quarters. I'll see you later Lucas." With that, the captain led his two guests from the shuttle bay, talking excitedly with them. When he was sure they were gone, Lucas headed toward his quarters.

Once he arrived, he opened the door and easily navigated through the mess that was his floor. He sat down at his computer, thinking about the meeting. It would be pretty cool to have someone on the boat near his own age, for awhile at least. And she knew about computers, too. Maybe he could actually have a conversation with her about his work and not have to tone it down into Layman's terms. Grinning, Lucas fired up his computer. Well, any conversation would have to wait for about an hour or so, he thought as he pulled up the game he had been playing earlier.

Two hours passed, and Lucas was just finishing up his game when his stomach began to protest. He remembered that he hadn't eaten since breakfast, and shut down his computer before setting off toward the mess hall.

As he entered, he could hear laughter coming from several of the packed tables. The loudest was the one that seated the captain, Noyce, and Kara. Noyce had apparently said something that Bridger had found funny, and now the man was rolling with laughter. The older man watched as Lucas piled some food onto a tray and waved him over.

Once Lucas had sat down across from Kara, Bridger and Noyce began to absorb them selves in their conversation, leaving the two teens alone for the moment. Kara leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Come on, let's take this stuff you guys call food and find somewhere else to eat. Knowing them, 

they'll be like this for hours." Lucas nodded in agreement and they picked up their trays, heading for the door. Bridger looked up from the conversation long enough to see them leave the mess hall.

Lucas led Kara toward the moonpool. When he got there, he set his tray down and motioned for her to do the same. Then he walked over to the pool, picking up the vocorder on his way.

"Hey Darwin, you there?"

A long, gray form swam into sight, poking his head above water with a slight 

splash. "Lucas, play?"

Kara, who had been watching from the door where their trays lay, came up behind Lucas. "That's Darwin! I remember him from Uncle Nate's island! How, did you get him here? How can you talk to him like that?" Her voice held amazement as she looked from the dolphin to Lucas and back again.

"Kara. Kara from Bridger's pod. Kara play too."

Lucas laughed as he turned to see Kara's surprised look. "It's a program I came up with. It's called the vocorder. It translates Darwin's speech into rough English so we can communicate. It's supposed to be top secret, but considering that you're the Admiral's niece, I think that's clearance enough. Besides, practically everyone who's visited the ship has seen it anyway. " He paused, remembering what Kara and Darwin had said. "Wait, you've met Darwin before?"

"Yeah, when my uncle and I came to visit Uncle Nate on his island a few times. This is amazing! Uncle Nate always dreamed of being able to do this! You say you made this? No offense, but how could someone young like you make something like this? You must be a genius or something!"

Darwin, who was getting impatient, sent a spray of cold water at the two teens, soaking the front of their clothing. "Kara, Lucas play!"

"Ok, ok Dar. Just hold on. Here, we can talk about this later. It appears fish face here isn't going to be happy until we're playing with him. There are some wet suits over here that we can change into." They changed quickly and jumped in to the moonpool with Darwin. Their food lay cold and untouched as they played tag with the dolphin for about an hour. When then finally emerged from the cold water, they put on their semi-dry clothes and sat by the pool again.

"So," Kara said, "how does someone your age wind up in a place like this? It must get pretty boring."

"Yeah. But it's been pretty fun. Well, except for the battles and stuff like that at least. As for how I wound up here… well, my dad thought I'd be better off. He says I should learn discipline and stuff like that, but I think he just wanted me out of his hair so he could do his work and not have to worry about me. He's a scientist."

"Oh. My parents are kinda like that too. They like to travel a lot, so they sent me off to school near my uncle so I could live with him. He and my aunt practically raised me. That's how I know your Captain so well. Since he and Uncle Bill are such good friends, we would see them a lot. I even knew Carol and Robby before they…well, they were all like family to me."

Kara and Lucas sat and talked deep into the night. Lucas was surprised to find out that she was just about as good with computers as he was. She was also an aspiring scientist, and was hoping to become a marine biologist after finishing her last year in high school and her college education. Since she was his own age, only sixteen, it surprised him to learn about her education. Kara had explained that she wasn't a genius like he was, but that she learned things rapidly, and had a photographic memory to store what she learned.

As she talked, Lucas looked at her. She did not look as though she had a bright mind with a great personality. She looked like any ordinary girl, with long, curly light brown hair. Her face was tanned, matching the rest of her light brown skin. Noticing her small build, he realized that even though he was slight for his age, she was even smaller. Lucas suddenly remembered that when they had played with Darwin, she had only come up to about his chin. But overall, she looked like any other girl. But as their conversation progressed, Lucas found her as anything but ordinary.

Three a.m. rolled around, and both teens found themselves yawing. Standing, Lucas offered his hand to help Kara up. "Well, the captain wants me on the bridge to look at something around eight o'clock. I better get off to bed."

"Yeah, me too. Hey, after you're done on the bridge, how about the full tour? I would love to check out the rest of the ship."

"All right. How about I meet you in the mess? We can grab breakfast and then go."

"Sounds good. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

They said goodnight, and then they each headed towards their own separate quarters. When Lucas had reached his, he changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and an old shirt and went to bed. He lay there in the dark, tired, but he couldn't sleep. All he could think about was how Kara and he had so much in common, and how great it was to be around someone who was his own age. The SeaQuest crew was like a family to him, but sometimes you needed someone your own age to talk to. Eventually, Lucas drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Nearby, one man sat silently in front of a vidphone. He listened intently as the female voice at the other end delivered precise instructions for the up-coming mission. 

"Now, when the fools rush in for the rescue, you know what to do, right?" the voice asked.

The man only nodded, running through the plan in his mind. With the arrival of Admiral Noyce on the SeaQuest, the time for their attack had come. The small terrorist band had been waiting for a chance to strike back at Noyce and Bridger for some time now, and this was the perfect opportunity. Almost too perfect. A chance like this did not happen often, and they planned to take full advantage of it. The man sat back in his chair, and waited for morning.

After shutting off the connection to her agent, the mysterious woman grinned. At last, she would be able to have her revenge. The taste of victory was already sweet in her mouth, like a well-ripened fruit. Just one more day and she would take from Bridger and Noyce the most important things in their lives, just like they had done to her. 

* * *

The next morning, things didn't go as Lucas had planned them. He woke up, dressed, and headed for the bridge. Bridger had him check some of the communications equipment to make sure there were no viruses in them. They had been acting strangely, but all it turned out to be was a faulty wire. 

When he had finished fixing the problem, Lucas turned to leave the bridge, anxious to meet up with Kara. "That should cover it, Tim. Just make sure they don't get crossed again; it could damage the system." 

Tim O'Neill nodded his gratitude. "Thanks Lucas. I don't know how much longer I could have withstood that beeping. It was driving me nuts. Oh, hold on a minute, I'm picking up something." O'Neill bent over the his station, listening intently. "Captain, I'm receiving an S.O.S from a nearby station."

"Put it on screen," the captain ordered.

Soon the main screen came to life with the image of a middle-aged man. His graying hair was in disarray, and wild green eyes darted nervously about his dark surroundings. "Can anyone hear me? This is the Traies Station. Please, for God's sake, can anyone hear me?"

Bridger, picking up on the quiet, frantic tone of the man's voice, answered in a low but audible voice, "The is the UEO Submarine SeaQuest, can we be of assistance?" 

The man looked toward Bridger gratefully. "Thank you. We need help. A terrorist group has taken over our station. We're only a little scientific outpost, really. They wanted something we were working on, and now they have the whole station. Please, you must help us!"

"Hold on a moment, Mr-"

"Dr. Arnolds"

"Dr. Arnolds. What exactly is it you were working on?"

"It was a top-secret virus. Section Seven wanted it developed for biological warfare. I don't know how they found out about it, because it was top secret! And no matter what happens, you have to keep this secret, too. I shouldn't be saying anything at all, but I need your help! Please, you have to hurry! I can't say much more, or they'll find me! I'm the only one left, they killed all of my colleagues."

"All right, do you have the coordinates?" The doctor nodded. "Ok, send them to us, then get yourself hidden. We may need your help once we get there-"

"There's no time! I hear them coming! Here, I'm sending everything I can. The layouts, coordinates, even the information we have on the virus. Please, stop them!" As the visual connection closed, a scream and several gunshots were heard. Then there was silence as the rest of the connection 

was closed.

The bridge crew stood stunned for a brief moment, then exploded in to action. Bridger began shouting orders, and the crew was scattering to follow them. Lucas stood still among the bustle, shocked at what had just occurred. They had just heard a man die. He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, and turned to see the captain motion toward the wardroom. There was planning to be done.

******

I'll be posting more soon, and I hope you enjoyed this!


	2. The Trap

Five minutes later, the senior staff was assembled in the wardroom. Bridger sat at the head, waiting impatiently for everyone to take their seats. Bill Noyce stood at Nathan's shoulder with an anxious look on his face. As the last of the people seated themselves, Bridger began the meeting. 

"Lucas, I need you to pull up all of the information that Dr. Arnolds was able to get through." He paused while the teen worked rapidly on his computer, then spoke again when the station's blue prints appeared on the vid screen. "For those of you who are not aware of the situation, we are dealing with an unknown number of terrorists with a deadly virus, and only the doctor's sketchy information on the hostage situation. 

"So here's how we are going to handle it," he said, leaning forward. "Crocker, I need a minimal but efficient security team. Ten members maximum, because we have to keep this as small as possible. Kristin, I need for you to have a quarantine unit ready just in case we run into that virus. Also, I need for you to personally start analyzing the information on the virus. If things go bad in there, we may need a counter virus. I am also going, no argument Commander," as he cuts Ford off. "We meet in the shuttle bay in twenty minutes, and anyone late gets left behind. Any questions? Good. Everyone else, I want you to keep an eye on the station while we are in there. Commander Ford you have the bridge. Dismissed." 

Almost as one, the entire senior staff rose to leave. Lucas ran after Bridger, who stood by the entrance talking with Kristin. "Captain, I want to go."

Bridger turned to face him, giving an impatient sigh. "Lucas, how many times do we have to go over this? I can't send you into a situation like this. You are civilian, not military personnel. It would be too dangerous. And besides, I have a bad feeling about this whole thing. If something does go wrong, I don't want you caught in it." He glanced down at his watch. "I have to get going, kiddo. Try and keep Bill and Kara occupied while I'm gone." Casting a quick grin in the teen's direction, Bridger headed off to finish final preparations.

Noyce came up behind Lucas, startling him as he spoke. "I don't like this at all. He's running into something, I know it. He knows it too." The Admiral shook his head. "I just hope he doesn't get into trouble. He's a good captain," he said, then added quietly, "and a good friend."

Lucas nodded, started toward his quarters. As he walked, he remembered about his forgotten meeting with Kara, and changed directions. He headed toward the mess, and found her seated at a table picking at her food as though bored. When he sat down across from her, she looked up, large brown eyes full of humor. "You people actually eat this stuff?" Both laughed, and Lucas went to grab some food. As they ate and talked, however, his mind kept going back to what the Admiral had said. The teen was growing increasingly uneasy about the whole situation himself. Something about it just seemed wrong. Finally, he decided to act on his feelings of uneasiness. 

"Um, Kara, I have to go to the labs real quick. Would you like to come? We can just start the tour there and continue once I clear something up."

The girl studied Lucas' face. "Lucas, what's wrong? Something's bothering you; I can see it in your eyes. Come on, you can tell me."

"It's just a feeling I have," Lucas hesitated for a moment before he looked away. "All right, I'll tell you about it on the way." The pair stood, and Lucas led the way to the labs. As they walked, he told Kara about the emergency call and the rescue team that was sent to the station. "It just doesn't sit right. I mean, first of all, we're in peace-time, so why would Section Seven want to make a biological weapon? And then, that doctor. He looked panicked, but he knew what to say, like it had been rehearsed or something. I dunno, maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"No, I think you should check it out. I mean, it wouldn't hurt, and what if you're right?"

* * *

The man paced anxiously by his PAL, awaiting the order to begin the mission. Bridger was already approaching the station, and the plan was in its crucial stage. He awaited the order on boardthe SeaQuest. Having conveniently been assigned dutyin the docking-bay would aid him in securing it for the invasion team. A small, subtle noise emerged from the PAL, a tight sequence of beeps. That was the signal. He grabbed his gun, signaled to his hidden comrades, and went to work commandeering the SeaQuest.

* * *

As the two teens arrived in the labs, Lucas asked for Kristin. Once he found her, the youth was surprised to see Admiral Noyce deep in conversation with her. Both wore a concerned look on their faces as they bent over a microscope. 

"How can this be? Bill, we have to get a hold of Nathan." The doctor's tone belied her concern.

"I know Kristin. I knew there was something wrong with this from the start. Come on, we have to warn him before he gets there."

"What's going on?" Lucas spoke, alarm shining in his bright blue eyes. "Is that the virus you're looking at? Warn the Captain about what?"

Kristin answered first. "There isn't any virus. It's a set up, and the Captain, it appears, is walking into a trap. Come on; let's get to the bridge. Hopefully we can get a message through before the captain gets into any trouble."

As the group turned toward the doorway, it burst open, and a spray of gunfire sent them diving to the floor before they realized what was happening. A handful of heavily armed men came storming into the room, weapons ready for another round of gunfire. They seemed to be searching for something, and they're intent eyes stopped when they crossed the group on the floor. One nodded to the others, and they came toward Lucas and his group. 

"You four, come with us. Now!" The man ordered, waving his gun at them.


	3. An Old Enemy

Kristin, having automatically switched into her infamous doctor mode after hearing the gunshots, looked quickly around the lab. She noted the frantic scientists who had dropped to the deck in alarm, a few of them with minor injuries. Small lacerations also covered the arms of several others, probably from broken test tubes or beakers. She knew that they were capable of bandaging the small wounds themselves, and felt a little better about leaving having to them. However, when this mess was over, she would check each person over, just to make sure. 

Kristin was torn from her observation as a strong hand grabbed her arm and pulled the doctor to her feet. When the group of four were standing, they were ushered roughly from the med-lab. As they were led down the corridors, it appeared as though these terrorists had overthrown the entire ship. There was not a soul in sight until they reached the bridge, and found the senior staff and other bridge crew held hostage as well. A dozen or so commandos, all as heavily armed as the others, stood guard over the confused and angry crew.

Like the people in the labs, they too sported minor injuries. Katie, who stood at her station, had the beginnings of what looked like a black eye. Commander Ford, standing next to Katie, had a small cut over his brow. Both stood with strict military posture, but their eyes gave away their surprise and anger for this unexpected coup d'etat. Obviously, they had not given up without a little resistance, but they were outgunned and outnumbered.

Lucas, after making sure that his friends were all right, glanced about the crowded bridge. His eyes found the man who appeared to be in charge; a tall, muscular man. The leader's tanned face was hard, his square jaw locked in concentration, eyes busily scanning the new prisoners as he listened to something from an earpiece. When the man's hazel eyes met Lucas' own blue, the teen forced to control a shiver; those eyes were so cold, so professional that they scared him, though he would never admit it out loud.

The man, whom Lucas had figured the leader, turned to one of his men by the comm station. "Have we received word from Group B yet?"

"Yes sir. Group B reports mission successful. They should arrive shortly with the prisoners." 

Lucas, who was becoming increasingly more frightened by the moment, guessed who Group B's prisoners had to be. He had clung to a small hope that maybe Bridger and his rescue team had been overlooked, and that they would somehow be able to save the ship and it's crew. Now his fear increased as he realized that there was no one left to help any of them.

He glanced at Kara, who stood beside her uncle, fear also lurking in her brown eyes. Noyce had one arm wrapped around her small frame, his own body unconsciously taking on a protective stance. Lucas jumped slightly as he felt Kristin's hand on his own shoulder, and she gave it a small, reassuring squeeze when he turned his frightened eyes toward her. 

The leader of the mercenaries motioned for the guards that held Lucas and his group to move their prisoners off to the side. Noyce chose that moment to voice the questions on everyone's mind. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you people, and how did you get on this ship?" 

Turning on the Admiral, the head terrorist gave Noyce a cold, unfriendly smile. "Simply put; because we can. If you want to know any details, I suggest you wait until our other guests arrive. If not, well then, your pretty girl there might regret it." The man turned away after casting a meaningful glance at Kara.

The fear in Lucas' eyes turned to anger at the threat to his friend, and Kristin's hand tightened slightly on his shoulder, as she mouthed _not now._ Noyce was having a similar reaction, and Kara's pleading eyes were the only things that kept him in check. 

Another shouting voice could be heard coming down the corridor to the bridge, and soon two burly guards escorted in Nathan Bridger. Other than a slightly bleeding lip, the captain appeared unharmed. With a gaze that could melt an iceberg, Nathan asked the same questions Noyce had moments before. 

After pausing to listen to his earpiece, a slow smile again crept onto the head commando's lips. "Don't worry, captain, you and your crew will find out soon enough. It seems that my employer has just docked, and will be joining us in moments. In the meantime," he paused, turning to one of the men that guarded Lucas and his friends, "see that our prisoners are made… comfortable." 

The guards around the bridge all seemed to begin moving at once. Half of them ushered the bridge crew and the senior staff members down to the brig, while those who watched over Lucas and his companions separated them. Kristin was taken to the brig along with the rest of the crew, and Noyce and Bridger were secured near the view screen. Lucas and Kara, meanwhile, were kept apart from both groups. The two teens and their guardians protested loudly, only to be silenced by more threats to the teens' safety. Lucas stood protectively by Kara, determined that whatever was being planned, he would at least keep them from harming her. 

"Ah, here is my employer now." The mercenary snapped into a sharp salute as another figure entered the bridge. Her boots clicked loudly on the deck as she made her way to the center of the bridge, a look of triumph on her face.

"Marilyn!" Bridger's voice was laced with both surprise and hatred. "I thought you were dead!"

Marilyn Stark calmly walked over to the captain. "Never underestimate your opponent. Isn't that what you used to teach us at the academy, Captain?" She walked toward him, then grabbed the front of his uniform, jerking him forward until they stood face to face. "Well, I've come to take back my ship Bridger. But first," after releasing him, she motioned to one of the guards, and Lucas was brought forward. "I want to have a little fun. You took my ship, my _life_, Nathan. You took from me what I held most dear, and it's high time I repaid the favor, don't you think?" She slowly traced a well-manicured hand down Lucas' cheek. "It's such a shame; he really is a pretty boy." Turning, the insane Stark nodded to the guard, and his fists flew toward Lucas before anyone realized what was happening. 

"No! Lucas!" Bridger fought the mercenary restraining him, desperate to help the teen who meant so much to him. However, he was overpowered as the man grabbed his arms, and another trained his weapon on the captain. Bridger was helpless, forced to watch as the young man was beaten. 

Lucas, who was held by one guard, couldn't even defend himself. The other guard let loose several viscous punches toward his head, then began on the teen's abdomen and rib areas. The pain was blinding, and Lucas knew that if it hadn't been for the guard holding him upright, he would have fallen after the first vicious blow. The world began to slowly disappear, and all Lucas could feel was the pain as the fists and steel-toed boots connected with soft flesh. He could faintly hear the Captain, Noyce, and Kara screaming, but soon even that drowned out as the man's boot flew at his ribs. The crack that resulted was clearly audible, and the last thing Lucas heard before losing consciousness was the scream that tore through his throat.

Marilyn Stark gazed with sadistic pleasure at the scene before her. This was only part of her revenge. The boy, being so valuable to Bridger, would meet a rather slow and painful end right in front of his dear Captain's eyes. This was the end of only the first beating; he would be given back to Bridger, and the man would be allowed to coddle his pet for awhile before the boy was again beaten before his captain. Marilyn planned to continue this little routine until the boy died. If it took too long, she supposed she could just shoot him, but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun as this. Stark sighed; she still was not sure what exactly to do with the girl yet. She wanted Noyce to pay for replacing her with Bridger, but wasn't quite sure that beating the girl up would be much fun, and it might take too much time as well. With a shrug, Marilyn decided that she could always be given as a gift to her mercenaries. That would probably have just as much affect as anything else would, she supposed. Then, after she had broken them, the men responsible for taking away her life would die as well, slowly of course. Her plan was foolproof, now that she had the ship and its crew secured. The security team had proved a slight problem, but the mission was too well planned, and they had been overcome and locked in the brig. Now, the revenge she had yearned for would be fulfilled, and she would take back her ship. Then she would show the UEO the true use for the seaQuest.

* * *

Ben Kreig held his breath as the mercenary troops led the bridge crew by his hiding place. He had been very fortunate to escape the guards, apparently more so than his friends had been. From his shelter in the storage closet, the Lieutenant had heard some men talking about the takeover, and when he heard that Marilyn Stark was their leader, he had turned white. Everyone had believed she was dead. Evidently, she had gotten away in that escape pod, and was now back for revenge. He knew he was probably the only person left free that could get word out the UEO headquarters and send for help. He was the only one left to help his friends, and Ben Kreig intended to do just that. 


	4. Ben To The Rescue

Hey, the next chapter is finally out!!! I just wanted to thank Gryff again for all her hard work and help. If you're reading this, it means you know I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and get this puppy finished! Anyway, I will try to have another part done soon everyone!  
  
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Pain was the only thing that Lucas could feel as he drifted in darkness. He could remember nothing after he had blacked out, and his mind absently wondered what had happened. Suddenly the youth's consciousness flashed with images of Kara, Bridger and Noyce, all of whom had been forced to stand aside and watch. Concern for them brought him drifting back towards consciousness, and soon he could hear voices around him. Forcing his heavy eyelids to open, Lucas instantly regretted his decision and immediately closed them against the harsh lighting above.  
  
"Lucas? Lucas, wake up kiddo." The voice was loud, grating on the genius' already grated nerves.  
  
Once more forcing his eyes to open, the teen became aware of blurred figures huddled around him. Jerking fully awake, he tried to pull away from them.  
  
Bridger, who sat beside Lucas, reached out a comforting hand to hold the boy down. "Easy there, kiddo," Bridger whispered softly, "you're safe. Just relax."  
  
It took a moment before the captain's voice registered in his muddled brain and once Lucas realized who the speaker was he settled down.  
  
Another figure entered his field of vision. The blonde cringed as Kristin's face took on a cold, stern look as she slipped into her doctor persona.  
  
"Lucas, darling, I know you're not very awake right now, but can you tell me where it hurts?" She held his wrist as she spoke, eyes flickering from her chrono to the boy's glazed blue eyes as she measured his pulse.  
  
The teen only wanted to fall asleep, to escape the pain the seemed to travel the length of his body. Unfortunately, the doctor refused to let him close his eyes until he answered her question.  
  
"Umm.my side, and my head. I.can't see very well."  
  
"Ok, Lucas. Just stay with me for a few more moments, all right? You may have a concussion. If you do, you'll have to stay awake, all right sweetheart? Now, hold still for a second." Kristin sat on the cot beside the boy, looking carefully at his eyes for several moments. "Lucas, lad, it looks like you'll have to stay up. Think you can make it for a little while?"  
  
After a weak nod from the boy, Kristin pulled Nathan aside to speak to him. Her curiosity had been in overdrive, along with her concern, since the moment that the guards had brought the four to the brig. Lucas had been unconscious, bruises already forming on his face. Along with the other occupants of the small cell, she had pressed Bridger for information, but he refused to acknowledge her questions until he was sure Lucas would be all right. Now that she had had a chance to examine the teen, it was time for some answers.  
  
As they approached the opposite side of the brig, Kristin watched as her temporary cellmates, the rest of the senior crew, moved to Lucas' side. Kristin watched as the crew began talking to the boy, attempting to take his mind off the pain. "Good," she thought, "he won't have to hear this."  
  
"Nathan! What happened up there? Why is Lucas hurt and the rest-"  
  
"Kristin, its Stark." He paused for a moment as the doctor gasped, then continued in a whisper. "She.wanted revenge. She said that, since I had taken away what meant the most to her, she was going to do the same to me."  
  
Before he could continue, Kristin placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She could see the anger burning in his eyes; indeed, it was beginning to reflect in her own. But there was also guilt in those eyes. "It's not your fault, Nathan. That.woman, and I use the term loosely, is insane. And there were too many guards; there was nothing you could have done."  
  
Another question rose to the surface, and she decided that she needed to get the captain's mind off of Lucas' condition. "What about Noyce and Kara? What does she plan for them?"  
  
Bridger shook his head. "I don't know.she didn't seem quite as interested in them. I think she has something in mind, but I'm not sure what. It would probably be a good idea to try and keep Stark from remembering them for a while. And Lucas, if we can manage it."  
  
"Wait a moment, Nathan! You aren't planning on taking all of her attention, are you? A fool plan like that will get you killed! The ship still needs a captain!"  
  
Nathan threw up his rough hands in frustration. "I know, and believe me, if there were another way to do this, I'd try. But I can't stand the chance of getting anyone else hurt, and I know that if it were you, you would do the same. So, unless you have any other ideas, Kristin."  
  
The doctor glanced around the brig, taking in the worried and angry faces. Her gaze fluttered from each of the senior crewmembers. They were the only other occupants to the cell except for herself, Nathan, and the admiral and his niece. Tim and Ortiz, along with Noyce and Kara, were gathered around the solitary bunk and its occupant. Ford, Katie, and Crocker were nearby, and she could hear their frustrated whispers. She briefly wondered at Stark's logic for grouping them all together.  
  
Realization struck Kristin as she hurriedly examined the room again. She pulled the captain close, and whispered in his ear. "Nathan, where's Ben?"  
  
***********************************************  
  
As soon as the group of prisoners had been marched past, Ben silently eased himself backwards along the vent in which he was hiding. As he squeezed through his tiny sanctuary, he slowly released the breath he had been holding. Of course, the cramped little vent could hardly be called a comfortable sanctuary. Thankfully Ben wasn't a heavy man, but he suspected that even someone Lucas' size would have trouble fitting comfortably through the ventilation system of the seaQuest.  
  
The thought of the teen shook Krieg's mind back into the present. He wondered how the kid was doing; as a UEO officer, he and the other crewmembers were trained for these situations, but civilians were not. He pushed aside the thought, telling himself that Lucas was fine, that he was probably sitting in the brig with the others. There was no way anyone would hurt him; he was just a kid, right? But a lingering thought of doubt gnawed at the back of his mind.  
  
Ben stopped crawling as he reached his destination. Quietly he removed the vent cover in front him and after scanning the room below, he dropped silently into the small storage closet, replacing the metal grating over the opening when he was through. This was where he had been during the invasion; he had been checking to make sure some specially ordered items hadn't become lost in the last shipment when he heard the shots fired outside. Ben began rummaging through the different crates, searching for something, anything that might help him contact the outside. After a careful search of each box, carton and crate in the closet, Ben sat down, defeated. With a deep sigh the Lieutenant set his mischievous mind to work; knowing that he had to come up with a plan soon, before it was too late for them all. 


End file.
